Rise of the Alchemy God

Chapter 219: Soul Pact

"You're..."

Although Ethan's current appearance was quite different from what it had been over two years ago, certain basic features remained.

Even though he now looked much older and more mature, it didn't take Feng Huang long to realize that the person in front of her was Ethan, her direct disciple, a young man who, since he had been under her wing, had never asked her for anything.

No teachings, no help, nothing at all.

It was as if she wasn't his sect master at all.

In the past, she had thought about testing his combat abilities one of these days, but who would have guessed that Ethan would be so elusive?

As soon as he finished one matter, he would leave for another.

The last time, he even locked himself up for closed-door cultivation, which, to her surprise, lasted much shorter than expected.

Normally, cultivators would enter seclusion when they needed time to cultivate insights or inspirations that could help them develop and strengthen their cultivation base, a process that often took months or even years.

Yet her dear disciple not only stayed secluded for just a month but emerged already at the third stage of cultivation, with a base so well-hidden it couldn't even be detected.

Even back then, she had her doubts about his real cultivation base, but now, seeing him floating in the air as if it were nothing, and sensing the aura she had felt earlier coming from him, she understood one thing.

"So you've been hiding your cultivation base this whole time," she said, unsure of how to view the current situation.

Normally, such a thing would lead one to suspect ulterior motives toward the sect.

Yet she was certain that when he saved her during the auction more than two years ago, he wasn't a cultivator.

The more she thought about it, the more the existence of the man in front of her became increasingly confusing and uncertain, full of contradictions everywhere.

Seeing the clear confusion on his sect master's face, Ethan said,

"Not exactly. In truth, I only recently reached my current stage."

At first, Ethan had considered presenting himself as the masked figure, pretending to be an old sage returning to settle a debt with the sect.

But after thinking it over for a moment, he decided against using any disguises.

Initially, he had done so to keep a low profile, as his strength was still a bit lacking, not high enough to save him from every possible situation.

After all, as the saying went,

"The tallest trees are the first to feel the wind."

He had cultivated in secret for a long time and had now reached a point where he could hold his own against the most powerful forces on this continent.

Maintaining the same low profile as before would only create more problems than it solved.

So, he decided not to use his identity as Nuyu and presented himself as he was.

Although Feng Huang was somewhat cautious about Ethan, she could tell that he didn't seem to harbor any malicious intent.

Thus, she accepted his request to move to a more comfortable place to talk.

In the end, she took him to the highest peak of the mountains where the Phoenix Sect resided.

From there, Ethan could admire a particularly beautiful view of a lake surrounded by lush vegetation.

Among the various plants, Ethan could identify many that were relatively hard to find, with some of them even being quite rare.

Though Ethan already had nearly all the plants present here, he couldn't help but appreciate the serene aura emanating from the small landscape.

Near the lake, a tree grew, shading a small table and three chairs.

Feng Huang led Ethan there, and once they were seated, she asked him for an explanation.

Ethan knew the list of things to explain was long, but he decided to summarize it into smaller parts and address the most important matter for the moment.

He used the excuse of having a peculiar physique that allowed him to cultivate much faster, a breakthrough that had enabled him to make giant strides in his cultivation and reach his current stage.

Naturally, this explanation wasn't enough, and he knew it.

But he certainly couldn't reveal all his secrets, or at least that's what he initially thought while planning his next moves with Bai Yu.

That was when she proposed a viable alternative, one that would allow him to assist the sect master while also helping the Phoenix Sect.

"A soul pact? Like the ones used for slavery?" Ethan asked.

"The basic concept is the same, but unlike slave marks, which are one-sided, this requires an agreement between both parties," she explained, detailing the various uses of such contracts and how they were widely used in the Celestial Plane.

Ethan took a moment to recall this very conversation he had with Bai Yu, then finally spoke to Feng Huang about it.

He concluded by saying, "In a decade or two, I'll leave for the higher plane, but before doing so, I've decided to settle some matters on this plane, including the debt I owe to the Phoenix Sect."

Before she could say anything, he added,

"With your current cultivation, the peak of the Mortal Realm is the most you can aspire to.

If you aim higher, I can help correct your cultivation base and ensure that the sect's disciples are put on the right path for their cultivation.

Think of it as my way of repaying the sect's hospitality over the past two years."

Ethan then raised his right palm, where a stream of light fragments began to gather.

In a few seconds, they formed a sphere no larger than a tennis ball.

He extended it toward her and said, "Are you willing to accept a soul pact with me?"

The sphere of energy formed in his hand was the contract, which, once infused with the spiritual Qi of both parties, would create an invisible bond between their souls.

Breaking the contract would destroy the violator's soul, resulting in their death.

Ethan didn't mind helping her with her cultivation, but to do so, given his current level, some of his secrets would have to be revealed.

Thus, the soul pact was the only way for him to assist her.

If she accepted, Ethan would proceed with the series of plans he had devised.

If she refused, there was little he could do.

Had it been someone else, Ethan wouldn't have gone this far.

But for the woman before him, who had once saved his life, he wanted to give her the means to preserve her own in the future.